Electric panel



L. E. KLINGON 2,145,447

Jan. 31, 1939;

ELECTRIC PANEL Filed Sept 9, 1938 nu lllil W INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 31, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention is concerned with electrical panel structures having means for holding one or more prong receiving sockets in appropriate electrical association with a suitable source 5 of electrical energy. Hitherto difliculty has been experienced in the matter of conveniently and readily locating conventional and spaced prongs of a disconnectable plug in a prong receiving socket carried by an electrical panel. Thus the 10 object of the invention is to provide a panel or face plate for an electrical outlet box having means for quickly positioning spaced prong members of a detachable plug for leading such prongs into a complementary prong receiving socket on Hi the panel. The invention has as a further object the provision of a novel and improved panel having spaced prong guide means in communication with spaced prong guide means of a prong receiving member or socket electrically associated with :21"; a source of electrical energy. Specifically however another object of the invention is realized in the provision of a panel structure having spaced prong guide lots leading to correspondingly spaced and communicating prong receiving grooves in a prong receiving member mounted on the panel whereby the prongs carried by a detachable plug may be readily positioned in the guide slots of the panel and conveniently led into the guide grooves and subsequently into coop- 3Q erating openings of the plug receiving member.

The invention further comprehends as an object the provision of a serviceable electrical panel having embossed struck out means for appropriately guiding the prongs of a detachable plug 35 into grooves of a prong receiving member and into the prong receiving openings thereof. Other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be more readily appreciated from the following detailed description considered in con- 40 nection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view in elevation of one embodiment according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

45 Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary but front elevational view of another panel according to the invention.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating 50 a modified but embossed panel.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View on the line 66 of Fig. 5 and Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but illustrating another embossed embodiment.

55 Illustrative of the several forms disclosed, the

panel or face plate according to the invention is generally denoted l and is usually provided with one or more prong receiving members or sockets ll connected to a suitable electrical source of energy in a manner well understood in the art. Each socket or element I l includes spaced openings l2 for disconnectably receiving the electrically conducting prongs l3 carried by a plug M in electrical association with conductors l5 of a cable It leading to a source to be applied with 10 electrical energy.

Each prong receiving member ll also includes spaced grooves H in communication with the prong receiving openings l2 and the spaced grooves l! which in turn are in alinement with and communicate with prong receiving slots l8 extending longitudinally of the panel. Thus when it is desired to locate prongs [3 in openings l2, these prongs may be readily positioned in a pair of vertically arranged slots I8 which extend into and terminate in an end beveled face IQ of the panel. Having located the prongs in the slots I8, the prongs are movably guided towards and into the prong receiving grooves I! and from the latter into the prong receiving openings I2 to provide the appropriate electrical connection as is well understood. It is thus appreciated that the prongs may be conveniently and simulta neously positioned on the panel and directly led into the socket without the need of resorting to first locating one prong then another in the prong receiving openings I2.

In the form according to Fig. 4, the prong guide slots l8 are curved as shown although portions thereof lead to and communicate directly with the prong receiving openings l1. Thus with the form illustrated in Fig. 4, one prong of the plug may be readly located in one of the curved slots l8 and led directly to a peripheral face 20 of the socket where portions of slots l8 are disposed substantially in parallelism. Subsequently the remaining prong is readily located in the other slot I8 and it follows that both prongs may be led into guide grooves I1 and from the latter into the prong receiving openings of the socket 115 H. In other aspects, the form according to Fig.

4 is along the lines of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

According to the form illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, panel In is appropriately embossed to pro vide a forwardly extending and vertically arranged rib 2| having spaced sides 22 serving as spaced prong guide means which lead directly to the prong guide grooves I! in the prong receiving socket II. By this arrangement, the prongs are readily located on the panel by merely permitting the prongs to straddle sides 22 which are utilized to guide the prongs into grooves l1 and from the latter into openings l2. In the embodiment according to Fig. '7, two ribs 23 are struck out of the front wall of the panel in place of the single rib in Figs. 5 and 6 and the sides 24 of the spaced ribs are employed to guide the prongs into the socket in a manner disclosed in connection with the form shown in Fig. 5.

Without further analysis, the'foregoing disclosure will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it to various applications without omitting certain features that from the standpoint of the prior art fairly constitute the essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of the invention and therefore such adaptations are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A face plate for an electrical outlet box carrying a prong receiving element having spaced openings, said plate having spaced prong guide means extending from an edge thereof and to said prong receiving element, the latter having spaced grooves communicating with said openings and leading to said prong guide means of said plate.

2. A face plate for an electrical outlet box carrying a prong receiving element having spaced openings, said plate having spaced prong guide slots extending from an edge thereof and to said prong receiving element, the latter having spaced grooves communicating with said openings and said slots.

3. A face plate for an electrical outlet box carrying a prong receiving element having spaced openings, spaced means projecting forwardly of said plate and extending from an edge thereof and leading to said prong receiving element, the latter having spaced grooves leading to said means projecting forwardly of said'plate and 

